Android

What is Android?

The ~/Library/Android folder is a macOS user-library location used for Android development tools. It commonly contains the Android SDK in ~/Library/Android/sdk, which is used by Android Studio, Gradle-based Android builds, sdkmanager, adb, and the Android Emulator. Developers encounter this folder when installing Android Studio, managing SDK platforms and build tools, or running virtual devices on a Mac. The contents can include platform packages, emulator components, system images, and other downloaded development resources rather than ordinary personal documents. If you build Android apps or use Android device tools from the command line, this folder supports those workflows and may be recreated by the tools after removal.

Safety overview

Status: Use with caution

This folder is associated with legitimate Android development tools from Google, but deleting it can remove the local Android SDK, emulator files, and other downloaded components needed for Android builds and device tooling. Removing ~/Library/Android may cause Android Studio, adb, sdkmanager, Gradle Android builds, and the emulator to stop working until the SDK is reinstalled. If you do not use Android development tools, the folder is not generally sensitive by itself, but it can be large and may contain downloaded system images and tool packages.

Recommendation: Keep this folder if you use Android Studio, build Android apps, connect Android devices with developer tools, or run the Android Emulator. If you no longer do Android development, you can remove it to reclaim disk space, with the understanding that Android SDK components and emulator resources will need to be downloaded again if you return to those tools later.

File path

• ~/Library/Android

Related apps

• Android Studio

Related processes

• adb
• emulator
• sdkmanager

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